On September 4 this year, a round table entitled “CSTO–SCO: Security Space” was held as part of the business program of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. CSTO Secretariat representative Igor Panarin took part in the event.
On September 4, 2026, consultations on “Coordinating the positions of CSTO member states on the agenda of the UN General Assembly” were held in Moscow in accordance with the Plan of Consultations of Representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Member States on Foreign Policy, Security and Defense for 2025–2027.
On September 4 this year, a round table entitled “CSTO–SCO: Security Space” was held as part of the business program of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Today, a briefing was held by Colonel General Andrey Nikolaevich Serdyukov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, on the topic “On the readiness of command and control bodies and formations of the CSTO collective security system forces and assets to conduct joint exercises.”
CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov holds a working meeting with Minister of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic Ruslan Mukambetov
6th meeting of the CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security held in Saratov
02.06.2026
From June 1 to 3, Saratov (Russian Federation) is hosting a series of events involving the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization aimed at strengthening the collective response system to biological threats.
The central event of the first day was the 6th meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Authorized Bodies of the CSTO Member States on Biological Security, chaired by Head of Rospotrebnadzor and Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation Anna Popova. The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as the CSTO Secretariat.
During the meeting, participants exchanged assessments of the biological situation in the CSTO area of responsibility and approved the Action Plan of the Coordinating Council for 2026–2028.
The members of the Coordinating Council agreed on a draft document establishing a CSTO Basic Organization for Research on Biological Security Issues. It is proposed that this status be granted to the Microbe Anti-Plague Research Institute of Rospotrebnadzor.
An important outcome of the meeting was the approval of a draft joint assessment of the biological security situation within the CSTO framework, which will help develop a comprehensive understanding of risks and determine future priorities for collective action. The participants also considered a proposal by the Russian side and the CSTO Secretariat regarding the development of a conceptual document on the advancement of the biological security system of the CSTO member states in the medium term.
The 7th meeting of the Coordinating Council is scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg in December 2026.
On the same day, Anna Popova officially opened the First Conference with International Exercises of the CSTO Member States on Response to Biological Threats and delivered opening remarks. Welcoming addresses were also delivered by Governor of the Saratov Region Roman Busargin, CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov, and Director of the Microbe Institute Vladimir Kutyrev.
During the first plenary session, heads of the national delegations to the Coordinating Council presented reports on the biological security situation in their respective countries. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov also addressed the participants, focusing on the CSTO’s activities at the present stage and emphasizing the need to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation among member states in the field of biological security.
The exercises, which began on June 2, involve more than 100 specialists from sanitary and epidemiological services and health ministries of the CSTO member states. The exercises will continue through June 3. In field conditions, the teams are practicing rapid logistics, information exchange, biological risk assessment, and risk management in response to a simulated outbreak of a particularly dangerous infectious disease.
The exercises are supported by multifunctional mobile laboratories operated by Rospotrebnadzor, including those of specialized anti-epidemic teams, mobile detection and monitoring laboratories, and portable mobile laboratory units. These facilities are capable of independently conducting up to 1,000 tests per day directly at outbreak sites. Today, the CSTO member states collectively possess more than 100 such mobile laboratories equipped with modern Russian-made equipment.
The events being held in Saratov clearly demonstrate the shared commitment of the CSTO member states to deepening cooperation and strengthening the collective biological security system.
